Another Road Trip

My quilting friends, Rachel and Dawn, and I were trying to figure out how many years we've been going to Lancaster, PA, to shop for fabric and go to the quilt show--it's been about twenty! The last time we were there was in 2009 so with some last minute planning we were ready for another road trip. It takes us exactly one hour to get to the NJ/PA border, another hour to get to Route 501 S, and another hour to our destination.

We've had the same routine for years. The first day we fabric shop at Weaver's, eat lunch in Lititz, and then shop some more at Bird-in-Hand, Lapp's Quilt Shack and Zooks. We check in at the Smoketown Inn around 5:00 and then it's off to Good 'N Plenty for a delicious family-style dinner. When we get back to the inn, we gather in one room and ooh and aah over our purchases. The next morning we eat breakfast at the Waffle House (yummy grits) and then it's time to go to the show.

Our second stop was the fabric store in Bird-in-Hand with a nice assortment of repro fabrics--but I bought an apron panel that was calling out to me :)

After a stop at Lapp's Quilt Shack where I bought fabric for the binding of a Peto reproduction quilt that I'm making, we went to Zook's. This Amish buggy was coming down the street.

Across the street from Zook's is The Old Country Store with a wonderful selection of crafts made by local artisans. Upstairs was an exhibit of twenty-two quilts made by contemporary quilters. Jo-motion was made by C. Jean Horst and machine-quilted by Lisa Taylor.

The curved sawtooth border was amazing and check out the selvage binding. 

 

Postage Stamp Colorsplash, also made by C. Jean Horst, contains 36 different fabrics and more than 5,000 pieces. 
 

What I loved about this quilt was the feather cable in the borders. We found this stencil at The Stencil Company booth across the street from the old Lancaster Host.

Check in/out at the Smoketown Inn.

A glorious sunset as seen from the Good 'N Plenty parking lot.

Here's a view of downtown Lancaster from the top level of the parking garage next to the Convention Center.

I hardly took any photos at the show but this quilt really caught my eye. How creative! Zebra was made by Lisa Gorski of Cape Coral, FL.

We finished the show early so went back to the Lancaster Host to see the quilt exhibits there before heading home. Florence McConnell's Eight-Pointed Star Borden Family Quilt was part of the AQS 2010 Study of 19th Century Quilts.

Here is a detail. The original quilt is in the collection of the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA.

After a full day of looking at quilts--and more shopping--we left for home around 5:00 and stopped at the Blue Mountain Diner in Shartlesville, PA, for burgers and fries--the end to a wonderful road trip.   


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Copyright 2013, Barbara Schaffer

St. Patrick's Day in the Mawnin'

In 1945, when my mother, Etta Bower Davis, was thirty-five years old (and I was not yet two), she wrote a poem about St. Patrick's Day that was published in The Weekly Underwriter, an insurance newspaper based in New York City. No doubt, my grandfather, Stan Bower, encouraged my mother to submit her poem as he was an insurance agent in lower Manhattan.

That's me and my parents--Franklin and Etta Davis--and Nunzie, my grandparents' dog.

St. Patrick’s Day in the Mawnin’

“Maggie!  Git out me high silk hat

          ‘Tis St. Patrick’s Day in the mawnin’,

Brush off me clothes and lay them out,

     For I’ll be off at dawnin’.

‘Tis a long, long walk in this parade,

          And I’ll be carryin’ the flag-stick,

‘Tis jealous I am of ould Pat Flynn—

          He’ll be ridin’ a horse for St. Patrick.

Tonight when you go to bed, my dear, 

          Pray to the Lord for a clear day.

Faith, ‘tis rubbers that hurt me corns, dear,

          And I see we’re all out of ‘Blue Jay’.

It makes me burnin’, fightin’ mad—

          As mad as an outraged lion,

To get halfway through in the parade

          And have rain spoil me new shine.

And while yur at it, Maggie dear,

          Me green tie I’d like to be wearin’,

Me green sash, wing collar and all the rest

          Must be ready or I’ll be swearin’.

Cassidy’s men will be playin’ their best

          As we march to the tune of “Killarney’,

And St. Patrick will smile as he watches the byes and

          Hears the folks hand out their blarney.

Oh yes—I musn’t forgit me pipe,

          I’ll be lost without that an’ be sorrowin’

And I’ll have a laff on O’Toole and O’Shea,

          They’ll forgit theirs and have to be borrowin’.

So, Maggie, brush up me high silk hat

          ‘Tis St. Patrick’s Day in the Mawnin’,

And begorry you must be proud of your Mike

          When he goes off to parade at dawnin’.”

                                      ETTA BOWER DAVIS

         

Leonia, N.J., March 17, 1945

I had no idea what Blue Jay was so found this ad in the May 7, 1945 issue of Life magazine. "Only New Blue Jay has war-proved Nupercaine. Try it today for relief you've never known before!"


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Copyright Barbara Schaffer, 2013

Quilt Fest of NJ

My friend Rachel and I went to The Quilt Fest of NJ yesterday in Somerset, about 45 minutes from where we live. It's always fun to catch up with quilting friends who we haven't seen in a while. And, of course, check out the vendors and look at all the wonderful quilts. Here are some that caught my eye:

The Bizzy Bird Farm by Julee Prose of Ottumwa, IA, won Judge's Choice at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival.

Just love the white background fabric with black circles and dots . . .

. . . and all the fussy-cut animals and birds.

Fan Fare was made by Mary Chalmers of Willmar, MN and was awarded Best Use of Embellishments at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. It is a reproduction of a quilt in the Henry Ford Museum from a Fons & Porter book and is made of wool with exquisite embroidery. Unfortunately, this picture doesn't do the quilt justice.

 

 

Flowers for Rose was voted Viewers' Choice at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. It was made by Susan Marra of New Bern, NC. 

It is an original design, hand appliqued, hand pieced, and hand quilted in lots of feather motifs.

Sweet Emilie was made by quilting friend, Jill Reid, and quilted by Bellwether Dry Goods. Her inspiration came from an antique quilt.

 Note the four-patches in the sashing.

I'm having a hard time reading the story board but I believe the name of this quilt is Complex Irish Chain.

It won an Honorable Mention.

 

Midnight Goose Chase was made by Sue Glasnapp and was based on a design by Gail Gerber. One of these days I'm going to make a red and white quilt . . . one of these days . . . really, I am!

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Copyright 2013, Barbara Schaffer